{
  "$schema": "https://schema.org/Dataset",
  "name": "Vietnam Flight Seasonality 2026",
  "description": "Compiled, sourced seasonality map of airfares into Vietnam (SGN, HAN, DAD) for 2026 from five origin regions — month-by-origin low/shoulder/peak demand bands, evidence sources per origin, booking-window guidance, and a 2026 capacity watch. Bands synthesize published fare-tracker data; no live fares.",
  "publisher": "Day Trips Vietnam",
  "publisher_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com",
  "source_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cheapest-month-to-fly-to-vietnam-2026/",
  "methodology_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cheapest-month-to-fly-to-vietnam-2026/#limitations",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "temporal_coverage": "2026",
  "spatial_coverage": "Vietnam (SGN, HAN, DAD) — inbound from North America, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia",
  "updated": "2026-07-22",
  "version": "2026.1",
  "suggested_citation": "Day Trips Vietnam, \"Cheapest Month to Fly to Vietnam: 12 Months of Data\" (July 2026), https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/cheapest-month-to-fly-to-vietnam-2026/",
  "headline_finding": "September and October are the most consistently reported cheapest months to fly to Vietnam across all five origin regions, with May the runner-up; October is the only month banded low from every origin. The expensive traps are the Tet window (public holiday February 14-22, 2026; airline peak scheduling roughly February 2 to March 3), June-August school holidays from Western origins, and Christmas-New Year in December.",
  "band_definitions": {
    "low": "The origin region's cheapest fare tier for Vietnam-bound seats — demand trough months as reported by fare trackers.",
    "shoulder": "Mid-tier demand and pricing — neither the origin's trough nor its documented peak.",
    "peak": "The origin's most expensive tier — documented holiday, school-break, or Tet-driven demand peaks."
  },
  "origins": [
    {
      "id": "us_west_coast",
      "label": "US West Coast",
      "airports": ["LAX", "SFO"],
      "evidence": [
        {
          "source": "Kayak route page, Los Angeles to Ho Chi Minh City (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "September cheapest month (~$694 return average); December (~$1,137) and June (~$1,134) most expensive; booking 6+ weeks ahead saves ~20% vs last minute; lowest fares observed ~25 weeks out",
          "url": "https://www.kayak.com/flight-routes/Los-Angeles-LAX/Ho-Chi-Minh-City-SGN"
        },
        {
          "source": "Kayak route page, San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "October cheapest month (~$747 return average); June (~$1,244) and December (~$1,234) most expensive; booking ~7 weeks ahead saves ~22%",
          "url": "https://www.kayak.com/flight-routes/San-Francisco-SFO/Ho-Chi-Minh-City-SGN"
        },
        {
          "source": "Skyscanner, cheap flights from United States to Vietnam (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "September usually the cheapest month from the US (~$625 return at time of checking); Ho Chi Minh City the cheapest city to fly into; February the most popular month with higher fares",
          "url": "https://www.skyscanner.com/routes/us/vn/united-states-to-vietnam.html"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "us_east_coast",
      "label": "US East Coast",
      "airports": ["JFK", "EWR", "BOS", "IAD"],
      "evidence": [
        {
          "source": "Kayak route page, New York to Ho Chi Minh City / New York to Vietnam (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "October cheapest month (~$524 return average on NYC-SGN); December and June most expensive; booking ~7 weeks ahead saves ~23%",
          "url": "https://www.kayak.com/flight-routes/New-York-NYC/Vietnam-VN0"
        },
        {
          "source": "Kayak route page, New York JFK to Vietnam (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "Divergent JFK-specific data names July cheapest (~$505 return average) — flagged as an anomaly against the broader NYC data; banded shoulder in this dataset",
          "url": "https://www.kayak.com/flight-routes/New-York-John-F-Kennedy-Intl-JFK/Vietnam-VN0"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "uk_western_europe",
      "label": "UK and Western Europe",
      "airports": ["LHR", "CDG", "FRA"],
      "evidence": [
        {
          "source": "Kayak UK route page, United Kingdom to Vietnam (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "February cheapest month on route-level average (~£412 return) — a post-Christmas demand trough; the Tet weeks inside February price like peak, so the month is banded shoulder",
          "url": "https://www.kayak.co.uk/flight-routes/United-Kingdom-GB0/Vietnam-VN0"
        },
        {
          "source": "Skyscanner, London to Vietnam route data (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "September sample fares near the annual floor (London-Hanoi ~£478-506 return at time of checking); July-August school holidays and December consistently reported as the expensive windows from Europe",
          "url": "https://www.skyscanner.com/routes/lond/vn/london-to-vietnam.html"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "australia",
      "label": "Australia",
      "airports": ["SYD", "MEL"],
      "evidence": [
        {
          "source": "Google Flights route data, Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "October usually the cheapest month from Sydney; Australian school summer holidays (mid-December to late January) and the July winter break are the documented peaks",
          "url": "https://www.google.com/travel/flights/flights-from-sydney-to-ho-chi-minh-city.html"
        },
        {
          "source": "Google Flights route data, Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "March and May the cheapest months from Melbourne; Vietjet, Jetstar, and Scoot low-cost competition keeps troughs deep outside holidays",
          "url": "https://www.google.com/travel/flights/flights-from-melbourne-to-ho-chi-minh-city.html"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "regional_sea",
      "label": "Regional Southeast Asia",
      "airports": ["BKK", "SIN"],
      "evidence": [
        {
          "source": "Google Flights route data, Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "October usually the cheapest month; cheapest bookings ~40 days ahead; VietJet and Thai AirAsia the price-setting carriers",
          "url": "https://www.google.com/travel/flights/flights-from-bangkok-to-ho-chi-minh-city.html"
        },
        {
          "source": "Skyscanner Singapore, Singapore Changi to Hanoi (accessed July 2026)",
          "finding": "August usually the cheapest month from Singapore; Scoot and VietJet set the floor",
          "url": "https://www.skyscanner.com.sg/routes/sin/han/singapore-changi-to-hanoi.html"
        },
        {
          "source": "Travel and Tour World / Vietnamese press reporting on Tet 2026 regional fares (September 2025)",
          "finding": "Vietnam-Thailand round trips that usually sell around VND 4-5 million reported surging to VND 8-10 million over the Tet window — roughly doubling",
          "url": "https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/skyrocketing-airfares-for-vietnamese-travelers-heading-to-thailands-bangkok-phuket-and-chiang-mai-during-tet-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-surge-in-prices-and-how-to-manage-your-tr/"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "monthly_bands": [
    { "month": "January", "us_west_coast": "shoulder", "us_east_coast": "shoulder", "uk_western_europe": "shoulder", "australia": "peak", "regional_sea": "shoulder", "note": "Australian school summer holidays run to late January; European winter-sun demand keeps fares above the autumn floor" },
    { "month": "February", "us_west_coast": "peak", "us_east_coast": "peak", "uk_western_europe": "shoulder", "australia": "peak", "regional_sea": "peak", "note": "Tet 2026: public holiday Feb 14-22, peak air window ~Feb 2-Mar 3; UK banded shoulder because Kayak UK's monthly average is cheapest in February outside the Tet weeks" },
    { "month": "March", "us_west_coast": "shoulder", "us_east_coast": "shoulder", "uk_western_europe": "shoulder", "australia": "low", "regional_sea": "shoulder", "note": "Post-Tet normalization; Melbourne's cheapest month per Google Flights route data" },
    { "month": "April", "us_west_coast": "low", "us_east_coast": "shoulder", "uk_western_europe": "shoulder", "australia": "shoulder", "regional_sea": "shoulder", "note": "Pre-summer dip begins from the US West Coast; Easter school holidays firm Australian fares" },
    { "month": "May", "us_west_coast": "low", "us_east_coast": "low", "uk_western_europe": "low", "australia": "low", "regional_sea": "low", "note": "The consistent runner-up trough — last quiet month before Northern Hemisphere summer demand" },
    { "month": "June", "us_west_coast": "peak", "us_east_coast": "peak", "uk_western_europe": "shoulder", "australia": "shoulder", "regional_sea": "low", "note": "Kayak lists June among the two most expensive months from LAX, SFO, and NYC" },
    { "month": "July", "us_west_coast": "peak", "us_east_coast": "shoulder", "uk_western_europe": "peak", "australia": "peak", "regional_sea": "shoulder", "note": "European and Australian winter school holidays; JFK-specific Kayak data shows a divergent July dip, flagged in origin evidence" },
    { "month": "August", "us_west_coast": "shoulder", "us_east_coast": "shoulder", "uk_western_europe": "peak", "australia": "shoulder", "regional_sea": "low", "note": "European school-holiday peak persists; Skyscanner Singapore lists August as SIN-HAN's cheapest month" },
    { "month": "September", "us_west_coast": "low", "us_east_coast": "low", "uk_western_europe": "low", "australia": "shoulder", "regional_sea": "low", "note": "Skyscanner's usual cheapest month from the US; Australia misses the trough as late-September school holidays begin" },
    { "month": "October", "us_west_coast": "low", "us_east_coast": "low", "uk_western_europe": "low", "australia": "low", "regional_sea": "low", "note": "The only month banded low from all five origins — Kayak's cheapest month from SFO and NYC, Google Flights' from Sydney and Bangkok" },
    { "month": "November", "us_west_coast": "shoulder", "us_east_coast": "shoulder", "uk_western_europe": "shoulder", "australia": "shoulder", "regional_sea": "shoulder", "note": "European winter-sun season ramps; pre-Christmas firming everywhere" },
    { "month": "December", "us_west_coast": "peak", "us_east_coast": "peak", "uk_western_europe": "peak", "australia": "peak", "regional_sea": "peak", "note": "Kayak's most expensive month from LAX, SFO, and NYC; Christmas-New Year plus the start of Australia's summer school holidays" }
  ],
  "demand_drivers": [
    {
      "id": "tet_2026",
      "label": "Tet (Lunar New Year) and diaspora return travel",
      "dates": "New Year Tuesday 2026-02-17 (Year of the Horse); public holiday 2026-02-14 to 2026-02-22; airline peak window ~2026-02-02 to 2026-03-03; super-peak departure day reported as 2026-02-10 with the return crush 2026-02-21/22",
      "evidence": "Holiday dates per Decision 1369/QĐ-LĐTBXH (Ministry of Labor); Vietnam Airlines Group opened Tet sales with 3.5M+ seats (+~20% YoY) and Vietjet added ~1,800 flights (Vietnam News / Travel and Tour World); Vietcetera (Sep 2025) documented trunk fares up to 40% above off-peak; Vietnamese tourism reporting put returning overseas Vietnamese (Viet Kieu) up ~30% YoY for Tet"
    },
    {
      "id": "summer_school_holidays",
      "label": "June-August school holidays (North America, Europe) and July winter break (Australia)",
      "evidence": "Kayak lists June among the two most expensive months on LAX, SFO, and NYC routes; July-August consistently reported as the European peak; Australian July school holidays firm SYD/MEL fares"
    },
    {
      "id": "christmas_new_year",
      "label": "Christmas-New Year peak and Australian summer holidays",
      "evidence": "December is Kayak's most expensive month from LAX, SFO, and NYC; Australian school summer holidays run mid-December to late January"
    },
    {
      "id": "european_winter_sun",
      "label": "European winter-sun season (November-March)",
      "evidence": "Sustained European leisure demand for Southeast Asia's dry season keeps November-January fares from Europe above the September-October floor"
    }
  ],
  "booking_windows": [
    {
      "window": "Shoulder and low season (Mar-May, Sep-Nov)",
      "guidance": "Roughly 6-7 weeks before departure",
      "evidence": "Kayak route pages: LAX-SGN 6+ weeks saves ~20%, SFO-SGN ~7 weeks saves ~22%, NYC-Vietnam ~7 weeks saves ~23% vs last minute; LAX-SGN lowest fares observed ~25 weeks out"
    },
    {
      "window": "Peak season (Tet, Jun-Aug, Christmas-New Year)",
      "guidance": "Book when schedules and Tet sales open — typically September-October of the prior year",
      "evidence": "Vietnam Airlines Group and Vietjet opened Tet 2026 sales in September 2025; Vietnamese press advises the cheapest economy buckets on peak dates sell first and are not re-filed"
    },
    {
      "window": "Day-of-week effects",
      "guidance": "Book on Sunday; depart Tuesday or Wednesday",
      "evidence": "Expedia 2025 Air Hacks Report (ARC ticketing data): Sunday bookings save up to 17% on international fares vs Friday/Monday; Kayak lists Tuesday/Wednesday as cheapest departure days on US-Vietnam routes"
    }
  ],
  "capacity_watch_2026": [
    {
      "item": "Vietnam Airlines SFO-SGN remains the only US nonstop; Los Angeles planned but undated",
      "source": "Simple Flying / Aviation Week"
    },
    {
      "item": "Vietnam Airlines launched Hanoi-Amsterdam and is adding European frequencies for 2026",
      "source": "Travel and Tour World route reporting"
    },
    {
      "item": "Vietjet's first European route, Hanoi-Prague (via Almaty), launches 2026-10-10",
      "source": "Karryon / Travel Weekly AU"
    },
    {
      "item": "Vietjet serves five Australian gateways including Perth; 22 new aircraft delivered in 2025 (largest annual fleet expansion) across 202 international routes",
      "source": "Travel Weekly AU / Vietjet annual results reporting"
    },
    {
      "item": "Long Thanh International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City region) slated to open mid-2026",
      "source": "Travel and Tour World / Vietnamese infrastructure reporting"
    }
  ],
  "caveats": [
    "This dataset compiles published seasonality, not live fares; bands are relative demand tiers, not price quotes",
    "Fare-tracker route pages recompute continuously — indicative figures reflect July 2026 access snapshots",
    "Route-level averages disagree in places (Kayak JFK July dip; Kayak UK February average blending a trough with the Tet spike); divergences are flagged, not smoothed",
    "Currency movements and fuel surcharges shift absolute fares without changing the seasonal shape",
    "Capacity items are announcements, not history — launches and airport openings can slip"
  ]
}